UPS Store wheels out luggage box

The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area

Tired of paying high airline baggage fees and dealing with long lines at the airport? United Parcel Service Inc. may have another option for your luggage.

Through The UPS Store, the Atlanta-based package shipper said it is offering luggage shipping alternatives, including a new luggage box that can take the place of a suitcase.

Available at select U.S. The UPS Store locations, the luggage box comes in a large and small size, has a handle for carrying and is made of recyclable corrugate. Because it weighs less than an empty suitcase, packing directly into the box can help lower shipping costs, UPS suggested. Travelers also can include packaging tape and a return UPS shipping label for use when returning home.

When shipped with UPS Ground service, the luggage box is competitively priced with the airlines’ baggage fees, UPS said. UPS operates a ground hub in Greensboro that employs about 2,000 people.

Travelers can track shipments with UPS mobile apps for cell phones, PDAs or other web-enabled wireless devices or receive e-mail shipment notification.

Both luggage boxes meet airline baggage restrictions for travelers opting to fly with their belongings. The small box can be carried on and the large box can be checked in, minimizing the chance of paying airline oversize or overweight charges, UPS said.